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Argentina Wears Black Armbands in World Cup Quarterfinal
Argentina's team wore black armbands during its 3-1 win over Switzerland on Saturday. The armbands honored a former captain who died earlier that day at age 89.
Jul 13, 5:00 AM·1m read1 source
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Argentina's players and coaches wore black armbands during the team's 3-1 victory over Switzerland in a 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night. The armbands honored a former Argentina captain and Boca Juniors player who died at age 89 after a suspected stroke earlier that day.
The Argentine Football Association requested and received FIFA permission for the team to wear the armbands.
Background on the 1966 incident The former captain was sent off during Argentina's 1966 World Cup quarterfinal against England after a heated exchange with the German referee. He refused to leave the field for ten minutes until an interpreter arrived and police escorted him off amid crowd disturbances.
The protest highlighted the lack of a universal system for communicating disciplinary decisions across languages. A FIFA referees committee chairman later developed the yellow and red card system, which was introduced at the 1970 World Cup.
Legacy and tribute The 1966 sending-off is often cited as the origin of the current card system. The former captain later served in politics before retiring. The black armbands served as both a tribute and a reminder of his role in changing how soccer handles disciplinary communication.
